Places To Stay

Choose Your Activity

Choose Where You Sleep

Cambodia Temples & Religion

Price upon request

The Hidden Temples and Forests of Cambodia by Mountain Bike

Overview | 15 Day Discovery

Choose where you sleep

Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat is only one of many ancient temples scattered around this captivating country. The best possible way to explore them, and the rural countryside, villages, rice fields and forests is to ride a mountain bike, following back roads, tracks and trails where few tourists venture.

This adventure not only takes you to some of the most enigmatic of ancient Khmer ruins, including the revered hill-top temple of Phnom Kulen, the massive Boeung Mealea, still subsumed by rainforest, an extraordinary river with a bed of stone carvings, and the 10th century former Angkorian capital of Koh Ker, but it also takes you deep into the Cardomom mountains to stay with a former logging community who are now... poacher-turned-gamekeeper... attempting to develop eco-tourism as a way to protect their natural environment.

15 Day Discovery

Day 1 : Arrive Siem Reap.
Arrival in Siem Reap, the town closest the famous temples of Angkor Wat. Meet your support team at the airport and transfer to your Hotel. Depending on your time of arrival and inclination, visit the town on your bike and then enjoy a 1 hour relaxing massage at the Frangipani Spa (included). Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.(15 km cycling on tarmac)

Day 2 : Siem Reap ~ Phnom Kulen
Set off by bicycle to the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen, 40 km east of Siem Reap. You will ride through countryside and villages surrounded by rice fields and palm trees. Picnic lunch on arrival. Afternoon, take a swim under the waterfall and visit the river at K’bal Spean with its sculptured lingas in the river bed, and climb the hill to the pagoda on the summit. Overnight with the local villages or in the pagoda on top of the hill.
(40 km cycling on laterite roads and tarmac)

Day 3 : Phnom Kulen ~ Ta Penh
After a local breakfast, we set off by bike through jungle and prairies of limestone and high grass to discover the exceptional site of Srah Dumrei, a 6m high sandstone monolith dating to 10th century, representing elephants and lions. Lunch at the village of Prehan Thom before following the South route to the summit of the mountain surrounded by jungle and prairie and arriving at the village of Ta Penh. Overnight in the pagoda of Wat Thmei.
(40 km cycling on laterite, karstic rock, earth and sandy roads).
Option to complete a loop of around 40 km on top of the mountain.

Day 4 : Ta Penh ~ Koh Ker
We start the morning downhill, on a very abrupt trail, to the town Svay Leu. From there we carry on cycling to Boeung Mealea, the famous temple where the film "the 2 brothers" by J.J. Anaud was shot. Visit the temple, still hidden in dense jungle. After that, our way brings us to an old capital in a remote region of the Province of Preah Vihear, the highest mountain temple of the Khmer Kingdom called Koh Ker and it’s satellite temples. 3 years ago, this temple still had no access.
Visit this lost site and prepare bivouacs for the Overnight. (65 km on laterite and finally tarmac).

Day 5 : Koh Ker ~ Siem ReapDrive back to Siem Reap. With the bikes we then explore for the first time the main temples of Angkor Wat Historical Park. We cycle on small trails and across the forest to avoid the main traffic. Sunset at Pre Rup. Overnight at your Hotel in Siem Reap.
(40 km cycling on dirt roads and tarmac)

Day 6 : Angkor
After breakfast set off by bike to visit the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom with the famous Bayon temple in the centre, believed to once have been the world's largest city with a population of around 1 million inhabitants. We move on walking and cycling which allows us to discover lesser known and isolated temples in the forest. Dinner show with the traditional khmer Apsara dancers. Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.
(30-40 km cycling on dirt roads and tarmac)

Day 7 : Angkor
Today we cycle north of the main Angkor complex to the beautiful, pink sandstone temple of Bantey Srei, a jewel of Xth century Khmer art with carvings so intricate it is said that it must have been carved by women as no man could have achieved such delicacy. Visit the temple then cycle back to Siem Reap. Afternoon free to relax, explore the town or revisit some of the temples that most impressed you. Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.
(70 km cycling on dirt roads, laterite and tarmac. Up/down: 0m)

Day 8 : Siem Reap ~ Kirirom
Depart Siem Reap by bus for the capital, Phnom Penh. From there we head on south to Kirirom National Park to a challenging hill ride along 30 km of tarmac road to reach the waterfall. Stop for lunch. Discover more of the park by bike in the afternoon. Overnight at Kirirom Hillside Resort.(40 km cycling on dirt road and partly tarmac. Up/down: +800m)

Day 9 : Kirirom ~ Chi Phat
Transfer by van and boat to the Cardamon mountains and the village Chi Phat, surrounded by rainforest. After lunch, discover the village, the local community project and the surrounding area by mountain bike. There are some great sandy trails leading to stunning waterfalls where you can take a splash. Overnight in a local community project guesthouse.
(30 km cycling on dirt road/0m)

Days 10 & 11 : Chi Phat
Two full days exploring the many trails by mountain bike, riding through the jungle, discovering the waterfalls, caves and archeological sites containing ancient Jars. Overnight at the guesthouse.
(40 km per day cycling on trails, dirt roads, rocks, sandy roads with river crossing/+80m)

Day 12 : Chi Phat ~ KepLeaving Chi Phat community behind, descend the mountain by bike to reach Andoung Teuk, where the van will be waiting. Transfer to Kampot and on to Kep, a former French colonial seaside town that was considered the Cambodian Riviera pre Khmer Rouge days and is now undergoing a revival. On arrival board a boat to a lovely island with white sand beaches. Overnight on the island in a bamboo bungalows on the beach.
(40 km cycling on dirt road and laterite/-10m)

Day 13 : Kep ~ Kampong TralachReturn to the mainland and then cycle through the verdant rice fields of Kampot and Takeo Privinces to the ancient site of Kampong Tralach, with it’s pagoda built in the rock. Overnight with local inhabitants.
(60 km cycling on laterite and tarmac roads / ±0m)

Day 14 : Kampong Tralach ~ Phnom PenhTransfer with private car to the capital Phnom Penh. Visit of the town, the Silver pagoda, the genocide and national museums. In the late afternoon enjoy a leisurely river cruise the Mekong River to watch the sunset with a few beers. Overnight at your hotel in Phnom Penh.

* NOTE. Prices indicated on this website are shown as a guideline only and may be subject to currency fluctuations, banking fees and other changes outside our control. Pricing information is available in other currencies.